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But Samuel took a step back. “No,” he shouted. “Hell the fuck no. ” Vela wasn’t certain what to do or how to convince him this was best, but Endelle laughed and moved in to clap Samuel on the shoulder. “Settle down, warrior. Vela can do this thing. ”
“You don’t even know what she suggested. ” Endelle met Vela’s gaze. “Sure I do.
I dove straight into her mind and saw what you just saw. Nice ass, by the way. You work out much?”
“Stay on point,” Thorne said.
Endelle rolled her eyes. “Fine. ” She addressed Samuel. “Vela’s right. The plan will work like a charm. Three men with weapons, coming across a vision like that? So, get over yourself, or the breh- hedden, or whichever monster has control of you right now. ”
“What’s going on?” Leto called out, his deep beast-voice booming through the room. “Can you let us in on this?”
“Vela’s going to play ‘butt-naked decoy’. But you boys just be respectful, which I know you will be. ” Thorne and Leto exchanged a glance, then turned a boatload of compassion on Samuel.
“We know what you’re going through,” Thorne said. “Don’t worry.
We’ll keep our distance. ” Samuel paled as he said, “Fine. I guess there’s only one more question to ask and answer: Vela, can you move all of us through the darkening at once? This will be a big group. ” Vela glanced at Fiona and Alison, Leto and Thorne. “Hell, yeah, I can. And Thorne, you’ll want to be in flight battle gear. And don’t worry, none of you need to be physically connected or anything, not for this trip. ” In a blur, Thorne changed.
Samuel took her hand and squeezed.
“Are you absolutely sure?”
“Never more sure in my life. ”
Samuel released his dark power, not surprised that all eyes shifted in his direction as his smoky grayle mist rose around him and his energy flowed, strengthening all that he was as a man and a warrior.
He knew the latent streams of power were still there, but for now, he was good.
He turned to Vela, still holding her hand. The soft answering smile eased him as he dipped his chin. “Take us into the darkening. ”
“Let’s go. ” She might have blinked, he wasn’t sure, but the next moment, as a group, they sped without walking or running, just a swift form of levitation up one darkening grid tunnel after the next. Vela’s power held them together as a group, on and on, following some kind of internal compass that she possessed.
“We’re close to contact,” Vela called out. “As soon as the wreckers stop, fold behind them and do what you do best. ” Samuel held his sword in his free hand. Vela slowed their joint movement, then brought the group to a halt. In the near distance an explosion sounded.
She turned to Samuel and said, “Hang tough on this one, on what I have to do next. ” He tightened down his caveman instincts and nodded.
To the other men, she said, “You might want to look away. I’ll signal Samuel, then take care of business. Right now, get down, as low as you can. ” Leto and Thorne nodded. “Alison, Fiona, you’ll be safest pressed against the grid wall. ” Two more nods.
She waved her hand and lost her clothes. Samuel watched her speed twenty feet away and stretch out on her side, on the stone floor that matched Duncan’s cell.
He could hardly recognize the feeling that ripped through him, but again fear and pride split him; a terrible fear that his woman lay, completely vulnerable, this far away from him, and pride that she’d reached beyond her previous convictions, setting them aside, to save another ascender’s life.
A second explosion, closer this time.
Alison and Fiona stood right next to the grid wall. He thought about Duncan and as his grayle power flowed, he extended his senses. Duncan was nearby.
Vela, how we doin’? he sent.
Duncan’s about thirty yards from here.
I can sense him now. Samuel’s biceps flexed.
They’re almost here. Ten, nine, eight… Samuel continued the count so that the other warriors could hear. “Seven, six, five, four…” Leto and Thorne both leaned forward. “Three, two…” A grid wall exploded not five feet from Vela, but she didn’t budge, not even a hair’s breadth. Wall debris, like black ash from a fire, blanketed the area and three wreckers broke through, three massive Third Earth Warriors, in kilted flight battle gear, shotguns over shoulders.
Big motherfuckers.
“What the hell is this?” The leader stared down at Vela. Like the description of Sharav, he wore three braids on either side of his face, clipped back in low hanging loops. All the men had long hair, Warrior of the Blood long.
“Something stinks here. ” The wrecker on the left backed away from Vela. “I say we waste her and get the hell out of this tunnel. ” Samuel gave the signal, a forward slice of his arm in Vela’s direction.
